TOWSON, Md. -
Sophomore Grant Catalino led a quartet of Terrapin attackmen that scored all nine goals in the No. 6 Terps' 9-7 victory over Towson at Unitas Stadium Saturday afternoon. Catalino finished the game with four goals and an assist. Sophomores Travis Reed and Ryan Young scored two goals apiece, while junior Will Yeatman added one.

The Terps came out and controlled the action early in the first, but it was the Tigers that drew first blood at the 6:27 mark on a Justin Schneider goal. Maryland responded just a couple of minutes later to tie the score at 1-1. Yeatman started the play for the Terrapins, drawing a double team as he tried to bring the ball to the goal line extended. He quickly moved the ball to the X to Young, who found Reed on the right wing, where he buried a low-to-high shot into the upper left corner.

Maryland took its first lead of the game a minute and half into the second quarter on another play that won't show up in the boxscore. Senior Dan Groot split-dodged past his defender and drew a swarm of Tiger defenders 10 yards in front of the Towson goal. He swung the ball to senior Jeremy Sieverts, who made a quick pass to Catalino on the left wing and he put a low-to-low shot past Tiger goalie Rob Wheeler for a 2-1 Terrapin lead.

Towson answered back at the 6:18 mark on Schneider's second goal of the game. The 2-2 score is how the game would go to the half.

Catalino gave the Terps a 3-2 lead just minutes into the third quarter, but some credit on the goal should go to sophomore defender Brett Schmidt, who dug out a tough groundball surrounded by a trio of Tiger players. Schmidt advanced the ball quickly to Groot in the offensive zone. Groot then found Catalino on the left wing again where he ripped a shot to the upper near corner.

Maryland converted on its fourth extra-man opportunity of the game at the 7:21 mark of the third quarter when junior Will Yeatman skipped a pass across the crease to Reed who finished for a 4-2 Maryland lead.

Catalino figured in on the next two Terrapin goals, picking up an assist on the first and scoring the second. He fought for a tough groundball on a Tiger turnover and found a wide open Young on the crease, where he pushed a shot past Wheeler. Sophomore Dan Burns won the ensuing face-off and advanced the ball to Catalino on the left wing where he ripped another goal for his fourth career hat trick.

Towson's Bill McCutcheon stopped the Maryland scoring run at four with his first goal of the game with 4:31 remaining in the third. The Tigers tried to claw their way back and cut the lead to two on a Tim Stratton goal. They continued their own scoring run with a Matt Hanzsche score at the 12:53 mark of the fouth quarter.

Yeatman stopped the run with an unassisted goal two minutes later. He used his size advantage to create space and got off a good shot from the right side, finishing into the upper near corner to up the Terrapin lead back to two at 7-5.

Catalino continued his hot-shooting with another laser from the left wing off an assist by freshman Jake Bernhardt to up the Maryland lead back to three with 5:47 remaining in the game. The Tigers hung in there, getting a goal from Stratton at 2:38 to cut the deficit back to two at 8-6.

A huge hit by Catalino on Mitchell Rosensweig caused a turnover on the ensuing face-off. The Tigers pulled Wheeler out of the crease to double the ball, but Young was able to split the double team and score with 2:11 left to put the game out of reach.

Towson converted on its only man-up opportunity with less than a minute left on the clock on Patt Britton's first Tiger goal to make the final 9-7.

Maryland got a solid defensive effort, led by senior goalie Jason Carter, who went the distance and finished with seven saves. Senior Mike Griswold and Schmidt each finished with two groundballs and a pair of caused turnovers. Senior Jeff Reynolds led the Terps with five groundballs and also forced two Tiger turnovers. Sophomore Dan Burns had three groundballs to go along with his assist.

Maryland (4-1, 1-0 ACC) returns to action with a pair of home games next weekend. The Terps host another in-state rival, No. 8 UMBC, on Saturday at noon at Ludwig Field. Maryland then has a short turn-around as it then hosts Bryant at 1 p.m. on Sunday.